


The High Warlock and The Alpha

by Obsessivecompulsivereadr



Series: Families of Choice [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, M/M, but is not Clary bashing because it's referring only to her canon actions, could be interpreted as unfriendly to Clary, reference to canonical character death (Jocelyn)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-26
Updated: 2017-02-26
Packaged: 2018-09-27 04:08:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9960659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Obsessivecompulsivereadr/pseuds/Obsessivecompulsivereadr
Summary: Magnus Bane and Luke Garroway have known each other for a very long time, long enough to not have many secrets between them.Luke knew about Magnus’s past relationship with Camille, and Magnus knew about Luke’s history with Jocelyn and Valentine Morgenstern.  Neither judged the other for their pasts, or for their decisions.  While Magnus could admit that he hadn’t particularly cared for Jocelyn Fairchild because of her shadowhunter superiority complex, he knew how deeply Luke had loved her.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is partly based on a conversation with theravennest on tumblr, and it's partly a follow up to a previous fic called A Quiet Vow, though you do not have to have read it to understand this one.

Magnus Bane and Luke Garroway have known each other for a very long time, long enough to not have many secrets between them.  

Luke knew about Magnus’s past relationship with Camille, and Magnus knew about Luke’s history with Jocelyn and Valentine Morgenstern.  Neither judged the other for their pasts, or for their decisions.  While Magnus could admit that he hadn’t particularly cared for Jocelyn Fairchild because of her shadowhunter superiority complex, he knew how deeply Luke had loved her.  

Luke had once held that same prejudice, though not for long since it had been forcibly ejected from his life once he was bitten.  

Sometimes, Magnus found, that was what it took to reorder priorities.  

Afterwards, Luke had become a leader in the shadow world, and he’d partnered with the mundane police department.  He’s been that kind of leader for much longer than he’s been the Alpha of the local pack, and Magnus has watched Luke do a lot of good in their world.  

But seeing the man now, sitting across from him at Magnus’s kitchen table, Magnus can’t help but wonder how much more this man will have to endure before he breaks completely.

Magnus snapped his fingers to refill and warm up both of their coffee cups.  

“Thanks for having me over, Magnus,” Luke said, his voice gruff from early morning use.  

He was wearing his usual police apparel, a blue t-shirt with jeans, with his holster and jacket laying on the table.  He would be leaving for work soon and had agreed to stop in this morning just to see Magnus and talk.

“Thanks for coming,” Magnus said as he got comfortable in his chair again, crossing his arms over the table and studying the man in front of him.  “How are you holding up?”  

“About as well as can be expected, I guess.  My sister is either a captive of Valentine or is working with him, I can’t figure out which.  The love of my life is dead at the hands of his demons, the girl who has known me as her father her entire life tazed me in the back so that she could go against my wishes and go after him, the Pack is out of control because _I’m_ still out of control, and they hate Simon.  Well, most of them do, and they don’t want him near the Docks despite the fact that he has very few places to go in the daytime, so I have to constantly keep track of him so the pack doesn’t kill him.  And Valentine had the gall to call me his parabatai during our last meeting.”

Magnus held up a hand, “Hold on.  Back up.  Clary  _ tazed you? _ ”

“Yes, and isn’t that just the shit?”

“What is going on with that child?” Magnus asked.  

“She thinks she’s right, even when she’s wrong.  I love her as if she was my own, but she’s been that way her entire life.  I’d blame the shadowhunter complex for it if it weren’t for the fact that she wasn’t raised that way, with that cultural grooming.”

“Have you talked to her?”

“Have  _ you _ tried talking to Clary when she believes she’s right?” Luke lifted one eyebrow in response, and Magnus had to concede the point to him.

“Fair enough,” Magnus admitted.

If Clary had listened to a lot of people, they could have avoided a lot of their current problems.  

They sat in silence for a few more moments.  

Luke took a sip of his coffee and looked at Magnus, “I wasn’t allowed to be at her funeral.  That’s the part that really gets me.”  

“I know,” Magnus said softly.  While he didn’t know from experience, he did know how it felt to have been excluded from something that he should have been a participant in, simply because of his status as a downworlder.  He can’t imagine how it would have felt to have been barred from attending the funeral of the love of his life.  

“I saw her soul leave,” Luke said as he set down his cup.  “While I was changing.”

Magnus reached out a hand and grasped Luke’s, squeezing it for support.  “I’m so sorry.”  

Luke took his other hand and placed it over Magnus’s.  “I know you are.  And thank you.”  

“Where did you go the night you left Clary with me?”  

“I ran off to the forest.  I was out there for days.”  

“You stayed out there alone?” Magnus tutted with concern.  He shouldn’t have been by himself, and if Magnus had known he was planning that, he wouldn’t have agreed to give Luke the space.

“Yeah, but it’s okay now.  Maia and Simon came to find me.  They talked me back down.”  

“I’m sorry, my friend.  If I’d realized….”

"I know.  I didn’t tell you on purpose.  You wouldn’t have let me go.”

“You’re damned right I wouldn’t have,” Magnus agreed.

Luke laughed, and it was the first somewhat cheerful sound Magnus had heard him make since Jocelyn’s death.  He knew it would take a while for Luke’s heart to stop breaking, but at least he wouldn’t be alone.  Magnus would make sure of it.  

“Why isn’t he here?”

Magnus feigned ignorance, but he knew who Luke was talking about.  Alec.  He waved a hand to brush off the question.  

“Magnus,” Luke said.  

“He and I talked, and he knew you were coming.  He chose to stay away from the loft today, so he wouldn’t make you uncomfortable.”  

Luke’s voice broke a little, “Thanks for that.”  

Magnus nodded.  

“I know he and I have never been around each other often, not since that night he stayed here while I was healing.  But he doesn’t have to avoid me.”  

“I’ll tell him that, but I doubt it will make a difference.  He doesn’t want to cause you pain.”  

“I don’t blame him for what happened.”

“I know that.  But Alec blames himself, and he feels like you  _ should _ blame him.  That Clary should blame him.  It took a long time for him to be able to face her, and he doesn’t know you as well as he knows her.”

“That’s ridiculous.  I had a difficult time that first night, after I saw the video feed.  But I know it was the demon who killed her.”  

“I know,” Magnus said again.  

But there was not much he could do to convince Alec.  He could only help him to work through his emotions over it.  The same way he would do for Luke and for Clary.  Magnus could be a rock for them, but he couldn’t make them feel things they didn’t feel.  Or believe things they didn’t believe.  

“I will talk to him,” Luke said.  “When I’m at the point where I’m back in control of my shift.  I can’t risk changing around him until after that.”  

“It’s your choice.  If you never get to the point where you can speak with him, that’s okay, too.”  

“No, it’s not.  That’s not who I am.”  

Magnus smiled.  “I know.  But I thought giving you an out might be helpful.”

“For now though, will you let him know I don’t blame him?”

“Of course.  Now what are we doing about Simon?”  

Luke sighed, “He can’t stay in that shed forever.  As far as I know Raphael still won’t let him back.”  

“I might be able to help with that, if I can get him and Simon in the same room again.  It didn’t go well the first time, but Raphael is calmer now.”  

“So Clary says you have a shadowhunter roommate and it’s not the one I’d suspect.”  

“Yes, Jace is staying here.  He’s quite tight lipped about his reasons, but his emotions will boil over soon and he’ll let people know what’s going on.  Alec is worried about him, because of Valentine.  I’m worried about him, to be honest.  He’s very volatile, and he has so much baggage from the news of his parentage. It’s something I can understand all too well.  But whether Jace is here or not, if you really need Simon away from your pack, I can probably conjure him up a room here.”

“You can’t adopt  _ all  _ the children,” Luke laughed.

“I haven’t.  You have custody of Maia and Clary.  I have Simon, Raphael, and now Jace.”   

“We  _ share _ custody of Simon,” Luke pointed at him.  

Magnus laughed, “And this is where we sort out the visitation.  Do you need me to take him until the problems with your pack die down?”  

“It would probably be a good idea.”

“I will be bringing in a warlock child when we get this issue with Valentine settled.  And hopefully any other warlock children that might still be involved.  Whether this Madzie stays with me full time or not, I’m not sure.  But if Iris Rouse is to be believed, the child has nowhere to go, and that cannot be ignored.  And Clary finally told me where Dot is, so I have that issue to handle as well.  Dot will need a place to hide if we can get her away from Valentine.”

“How long has Clary known where Dot is?” Luke demanded.

“I don’t know.  For a while I’m assuming.”  

“I’m going to kill that girl,” Luke said.

“No, you won’t,” Magnus reached out to shake his hand.  “You love her.”

“I don’t understand how she can keep so many things from all of us.  It makes things worse!”

“She’s an eighteen year old girl.  She’s lost her mother and her future as an artist, and basically what she knew her life to be.  Though I keep trying to explain to her that just because she doesn’t go to art school, doesn’t mean she has to give up her art.”  

“I’ve tried that as well.”  

“She’s misguided, and she doesn’t listen.  But she  _ can _ learn.”

“I hope so.”  

“She will.  She has you.”

“And you.”

“I will be here for as long as you both need me.”

“Thank you, my friend,” Luke squeezed his hand and stood.  He picked up his jacket and holster and put both of them on.  

“Wait, before you go,” Magnus stood and followed him to the door, “what’s that you said about Valentine calling you his parabatai?”  

Luke closed his eyes.  “Yeah.  He tried to use it to manipulate me while he was holding a knife to my sister’s throat.”

“We will get him.  I promise you.”

Luke moved in to hug Magnus, and the two stayed in the embrace for a few moments. “Thank you.”  

“You’re welcome.  Call me if you need me.”

“I definitely will.  When are you guys going after Madzie?”

“Probably tonight.  It depends on whether or not the tracking works.”

“Can you track Madzie instead?”

Magnus hadn’t initially thought about it, but it might work.  “That might be more successful.”

“If you do try it, and you need me, text me and I’ll be there.”  

“Alec will be there, though.  It’s possible she will feel more comfortable with him.  Izzy was there when the little girl saved his life.”  

“Okay, then I’ll sit this one out for now.  But if you need back up, call.  I will risk the shift if I need to.  In the meantime, is there something I can do to help with Iris and the other children?”

“Can you check out Iris Rouse’s home?  There might be something there I can use to track Madzie.”

“Of course, Alaric and I will head there today.  And if we find anything, I’ll have Alaric bring it to you.”  

“Thank you,” Magnus shook his hand. “And we will be prepared for your sister if she’s there.”  

“Keep in mind, she may not be innocent.  She turned her back on me when I was bitten. There is no love lost between us, at least not on her side.”

Magnus nodded, “we will get this figured out.”

“There’s just one more thing,” Luke added.

“What?”

“Which one of us gets to tell Clary that she’s not in charge?”


End file.
